$59 Rice Cooker VS $1280 Rice Cooker. Which Should You Get?

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Shopping is one of our nation’s favourite pastimes. So, what could be better than enjoying year-long rebates on our purchases with two different programmes?

Now, we can enjoy rebates when making purchases as a TANGS Classic/Preferred member or a Standard Chartered Credit Cardholder or both – that’s double the joy!

To give you an example of what you can get at TANGS for your lovely home, we decided to feature a cooking appliance that everyone needs.

So, what is a cooking appliance that almost every household would find handy? A rice cooker, of course. With that in mind, we decided to showcase what three different rice cookers across different price points can offer, regardless of your budget and lifestyle!

Toyomi RC 720 ($59)

Coming in at an affordable price of $59 was one from Toyomi RC 720, with a duo-side crystallised non-stick coating which is able to cook, steam and keep rice warm.

It also has an auto-temperature control to ensure even cooking, is easy to operate with a single flick of the switch, and is perfect for singles or couples who occasionally cook at home.

Zojirushi NL-BGQ05 ($268)

The mid-range rice cooker we tested was the Zojirushi NL-BGQ05, priced at $268. Slightly larger than the Toyomi RC 720, it features a “triple heater” on the bottom, side and lid (to generate a more even cooking temperature).

It has various settings to cook various types of rice, such as White, Quick, Long Grain, Mixed Sushi, and Brown. Users can also cook congee using this rice cooker.

Tiger JPB G109 ($1280)

Lastly, we have a rather extravagant top-end rice cooker, the Tiger JPB G109, tagged at a price tag of $1,280. What makes this one so special?

The inner pan is a varying double pressure clay pot, with large and small pressure balls allowing for precise temperature control, enabling a more even cooking all around the pot, so the texture and flavours of the rice resemble that of rice which was cooked in a clay pot.

It even has an 11-layer thick inner pot, complete with functions, such as ECO (which can save you up to 18% on electricity!) and Quick (for a faster cooking time). The menu settings also allow users to cook Plain Rice, Sushi Rice and Brown Rice, among others.

How Are We Comparing The Rice Cookers?

On to the cooking! To keep everything fair, we used the same brand of rice that everyone can get at a local supermarket. We also followed each rice cooker’s instructions, so there would be no dispute over possible biasness.

After measuring out two cups of rice and evenly filled with tap water for each cooker, the pots were all set to the most basic cooking setting.

The Toyomi rice cooker took around 20 minutes, while the Zojirushi rice cooker took 41 minutes and the Tiger rice cooker took 30 minutes on quick settings.

Since the Toyomi rice cooker cooked the rice fastest, we started the taste test with this. Visually, it looked moist.

It definitely was softer than we’re used to and more clumpy than usual. But otherwise, the rice was quite evenly cooked.

Moving on to the Zojirushi rice cooker, to the naked eye, the rice from this mid-range rice cooker turned out firmer than the first. The texture was smoother than the rice cooked in the Toyomi rice cooker.

Upon tasting it, it feels softer and fluffier, even when it tended to stick to the sides of the inner pot.

Finally, the Tiger rice cooker had completed its task and we were met with cooked rice that didn’t stick to the sides as much, and the grains looked fuller.

The taste and texture were distinctively different from the other two, rice wasn’t clumpy and the texture was more consistent as well.

What’s Our Take?

Out of the three, we were more than happy with the Zojirushi, given that it meets the middle ground between moist and fluffy rice. The Toyomi rice cooker is ideal for those seeking convenience and a no-frills approach to cooking rice, complete with a modern colour and design. Our dream rice cooker (maybe one day) would be the one from Tiger, but for now, we’re content with making a compromise.

From now till 31 December 2018, Standard Chartered Credit Cardholders get to enjoy an additional 4% rebate from Fridays to Sundays, on top of the existing 6% rebate on the TANGS Classic or Preferred membership!

There’s no better time to maximise your TANGS membership as well as your Standard Chartered Credit Card, if you haven’t already done so.

Simply head to sc.com/sg/thegoodlife for more details and other exclusive privileges on The Good Life® programme.